1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains generally to media content identification methods. More particularly, the invention is an apparatus and method for identifying media content presented on a media playing device and presenting media-content related information and/or action to the user of the media playing device.
2. The Prior Art
The use of a data processing means, such as a computer or personal digital assistant (PDA), for playing works is well known. For purposes of the present discussion, a work is anything that is fixed in a tangible medium. Some examples of works include, but are not limited to, audio renderings, video renderings, images, video/audio renderings, and software. An example of an audio rendering is a song or other audio track. Examples of video renderings include animation or video sequence. Examples of an image include photographs and paintings. Examples of audio/video renderings include movies, television shows, and cartoons. Examples of software include word processing programs and video games.
Some examples of playing a work include using a personal computer (PC) to play songs from audio compact disks (CD), normally with the use of a CD-ROM drive, a sound card, and speakers. Other types of media, including various formats of audio and video, are also commonly played using a PC.
With the increasing popularity of the global information network commonly known as the “Internet”, various audio and video formats have been introduced to provide live (as well as archived) broadcasts of works over the Internet. These broadcasts may be viewed by users connected to the Internet with the use of a PC and the proper client application. For example, Real Networks™ provides Real Player™ (a client application) for playing streaming audio and video works (in Real™ format) which is broadcast over the Internet. Various servers (also connected to the Internet) carry out the operation of making such works available and streaming data for the appropriate works to users upon request. In this way, Real™ media content of the work may be played by a user using Real Player™ on the user's PC. Like other media client applications, Real Player™ plays audio content of a work via the user's sound card and speakers and video content of a work via the user's video card and monitor (or other viewing device).
Internet radio broadcasts (or webcasts) are also known in the art. In general, Internet radio broadcasts are provided over the Internet by one or more server computers equipped to provide streaming audio works, much like traditional AM or FM radio broadcast. A user that would like to listen to an Internet radio broadcast would use a client application (such as Real Player™, Microsoft™ media player, or Apple QuickTime™ viewer, for example) and direct the client application to the appropriate server computer. The server computer then transmits the media content of a work to the client application via the Internet. The client application receives the media content of the work transmitted from the server computer and plays the content of the work using the user's sound card and speaker.
Internet video broadcasts (another form of webcast) are carried out in a similar fashion to that of Internet radio broadcasts, except video broadcasts typically contain both audio and video content of a work. As such, the audio component of the work is played to the user via a sound card and speakers, while the video component of the work is displayed using a video card and a monitor.
In many cases, webcasts will not provide content identifying information, such as song title, artist name or album name, as part of a broadcast work. Other information, such as where the content of the work can be purchased in the form of a CD, DVD (digital video disk) or VHS (video home system) tape, for example, are also typically not included. The primary reason a webcast provider (station) fails to provide such content-related information of the work is that the station does not have real-time access to accurate playlists. For example, it is common for a station disk jockey to make real-time adjustments to the playlist order and timing. Thus current radio station systems do not transmit or attach identification data of a work with the broadcast.
In addition to webcasts, many Internet sites provide archived or pre-recorded works for download and playback on a user's PC. Examples of such content of works include “wav”, “mp3”, “mov”, and “midi” files, among others. Once these files have been downloaded from the Internet site to the user's PC, the user is able to play back the audio or video content of a work using an appropriate client application. Many of these media files, like webcasts, also fail to provide identifying data or other information for a work.
Additionally, PCs often have the ability to play other forms of media content for other works via PC sound card and speakers and/or PC video card and monitor. For example, tuner expansion cards (tuners) which may be inserted into (or interfaced with) a user's PC are presently available (some computers already include such tuners). In either case, “television” (TV) tuners allow a user of the PC to view conventional television, cable or satellite transmissions on the PC monitor and hear the audio via the PC speaker. “Radio” tuners allow a user to hear conventional (FM or AM) radio broadcast using the PC speaker. Conventional TV and radio broadcast also fail to provide rich content-related information of a work to the user.
Other media playing devices such as televisions, radio/stereo systems, and portable audio devices also typically do not provide content-related information of a work on demand for the user. For example, in automobiles, current car stereo systems fail, to provide a system and method for identifying a song being played on the stereo. Typically a user would either rely on the disk jockey to identify the artist and song title or call the radio station to ascertain the information.
Users may also read and/or store media content of works from storage mediums such as compact disk and magnetic tapes. Sometimes these copies of works do not include metadata or the metadata for the work may be incorrect. Furthermore, there may be no proper way to identify the work.
Accordingly, there is a need for an apparatus and method which provides real-time media content-related information of a work and context specific action choices to users viewing and/or listening to media content of the work over media playing devices. The present invention satisfies these needs, as well as others, and generally overcomes the deficiencies found in the background art.